U.S. patent application number 10/874981 was filed with the patent office on 2005-12-22 for produce bag with tear portion.
Invention is credited to Recchia, Michael J. JR..
Application Number | 20050281495 10/874981 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35480652 |
Filed Date | 2005-12-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050281495 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Recchia, Michael J. JR. |
December 22, 2005 |
Produce bag with tear portion
Abstract
A plastic bag for produce and the like, which comprises: a
single plastic sheet, folded in one embodiment to define two
generally parallel bag walls connected at one end by an integral
fold line, and peripherally sealed together. Alternatively, the
fold line may be replaced by a seal line between the two sheets. A
transverse heat seal is formed between the bag walls in a line
generally parallel to the integral fold line, to define a separate
bag section having an interior that is separate from the rest of
the bag. A line of tearing weakness is defined in the bag and
positioned generally parallel to the integral fold line. The line
of tearing weakness is positioned between the transverse heat seal
and the integral fold line, to permit at least a portion of the
separate bag section to be removable from the rest of the bag by
tearing, without opening the rest of the bag.
Inventors: |
Recchia, Michael J. JR.;
(Roselle, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Garrettson Ellis
Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Suite 4200
55 East Monroe Street
Chicago
IL
60603
US
|
Family ID: |
35480652 |
Appl. No.: |
10/874981 |
Filed: |
June 22, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
383/127 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 33/01 20130101;
B65D 75/5805 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
383/127 |
International
Class: |
B65D 030/00 |
Claims
That which is claimed is:
1. A plastic bag for produce and the like, which comprises: a
single plastic sheet, folded to define two generally parallel walls
connected at one end by an integral fold line and laterally sealed
together; a transverse heat seal formed between said bag walls in a
line generally parallel to said integral fold line, to define a
separate bag section having an interior that is separate from the
rest of said bag; and a line of tearing weakness defined in said
bag and positioned generally parallel to said integral fold line,
said line of tearing weakness being positioned between said
transverse heat seal and said integral fold line, to permit at
least a portion of said separate bag section to be removable from
the rest of said bag by tearing, without opening the rest of the
bag.
2. The bag of claim 1 in which said separate bag section carries
indicia.
3. The bag of claim 2 in which said indicia include a sales
offer.
4. The bag of claim 2 in which said line of tearing weakness is
positioned adjacent to said transverse heat seal.
5. The bag of claim 1 in which said line of tearing weakness is
positioned adjacent to said transverse heat seal.
6. The bag of claim 1, which carries produce and is sealed on all
edges
7. The bag of claim 1 which is unsealed at an end opposite to said
one end.
8. The bag of claim 1, connected at sealed side edges to similar
bags, forming part of a double layer, integral plastic strip of a
plurality of said bags.
9. The bag of claim 1 in which said separate bag section carries
indicia, said indicia comprising letters that are right side up
when the bag is positioned with the separate bag section being at
the top of the bag.
10. A plastic bag for produce and the like, which comprises a pair
of generally parallel plastic bag walls sealingly connected
together at at least one end and their sides; a transverse seal
formed between said bag walls in a line generally parallel to said
one end, to define a separate section having an interior that is
separate from the rest of said bag; and a line of tearing weakness
defined in said bag and positioned generally parallel to said one
bag end, said line of tearing weakness being positioned between
said transverse seal and said one bag end, to permit at least a
portion of said separate bag section to be removable from the rest
of said bag by tearing without opening the rest of said bag.
11. The bag of claim 10 in which said separate bag section carries
indicia.
12. The bag of claim 11 in which said indicia include a sales
offer.
13. The bag of claim 12 in which said line of tearing weakness is
positioned adjacent to said transverse heat seal.
14. The bag of claim 10 in which said line of tearing weakness is
positioned adjacent to said transverse heat seal.
15. The bag of claim 10 which carries produce, and is sealed on all
edges.
16. The bag of claim 10 which is unsealed at an end opposite to
said one end.
17. The bag of claim 10 connected at sealed side edges to similar
bags, forming part of a double layer, integral plastic strip of a
plurality of said bags.
18. The bag of claim 10 in which said separate bag section carries
indicia, said indicia comprising letters that are right side up
when the bag is positioned with a separate bag section being at the
top of the bag.
19. The bag of claim 10 in which said one end and sides, and said
transverse seal, are heat sealed.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Plastic bags for produce such as apples, potatoes, onions,
or other products, are often made from plastic sheeting, being
formed, filled, and heat sealed with a variety of semi-automated or
fully-automated processes.
[0002] As previously described in Recchia U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,681,
it would be desirable to apply to these systems a technique for
attaching advertising, insert labels, or other information to the
bag, while permitting the bag to still be manufactured in an
automated manner, for example, along a process line as described in
the cited patent, in which bags are made by heat sealing and
slitting, typically from a single, folded plastic sheet.
[0003] While it has been taught that information can be placed
within or on a so-called "header" at one end of a bag as in Recchia
U.S. Pat. No. 6,506,429, by this invention, a detachable coupon can
be provided, for use in sales and marketing promotion, or carrying
information which may be used or stored at a location apart from
the bag.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0004] By this invention, a plastic bag for produce and the like is
provided. The plastic bag may comprise a single plastic sheet,
folded to define to generally parallel bag walls connected at one
end by an integral fold line, and laterally sealed. Alternatively,
the bag may comprise a pair of separate plastic sheets which are
brought together and peripherally sealed on the various edges.
[0005] A transverse heat seal is formed between the bag walls in a
line which is generally parallel to the integral fold line and to a
sealed end of the bag, to define a separate bag section having an
interior that is separate from the rest of the bag. A line of
tearing weakness is defined in the bag, and positioned generally
parallel to the integral fold line. This line of tearing weakness
is positioned between the transverse heat seal and the integral
fold line, to permit at least a portion of the separate bag section
to be removable from the rest of the bag by tearing, without
opening the rest of the bag.
[0006] The separate bag section may carry indicia, for example,
writing, numbers, or an identifying trademark. The remainder of the
plastic bag may also carry indicia of similar type. It is
particularly contemplated that the indicia carried on the separate
bag section may include a discount sale offer or another
promotional offer. The purchaser of the bag of produce may tear off
the separate bag section and use it as a coupon to obtain a
discount sale, a premium, or the like, thus permitting marketing
programs to be greatly facilitated. The torn off bag section can
serve as a coupon, which can be redeemed for the desired discount,
gift or premium. Alternatively, it may be used as a piece in a
puzzle or a contest, carrying a unique entry number or code, which
may serve as an entry for a particular contest or the like.
[0007] Preferably, the line of tearing weakness is positioned
adjacent to the transverse heat seal, so that the major portion of
the separate bag section is removable.
[0008] The bag of this invention may be formed with the end
opposite to the one end of the separate bag section being open, for
later filling with produce or other product, and then sealed along
that opposite end.
[0009] Also, for example when manufactured in accordance with an
automated or semi-automated process exemplified by the process
illustrated in the cited U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,681, the bags of this
invention may be connected at sealed side edges to similar bags,
forming part of a double layered, plastic strip. The bags are
sealed and formed into the bag of this invention, and subsequently
separated by cutting at an appropriate time. If desired, the strips
of uncut, formed bags, may be sent to the customer for subsequent
filling and cutting.
[0010] Furthermore, the separate bag section which carries the
indicia described above may have indicia which comprise letters
which are right side up when the bag is positioned with the
separate bag section being at the top of the bag. It may be that
during filling, the separate bag section is positioned at the lower
end of the bag, with filling proceeding through an open end thereof
opposed to the separate bag section. Then, after sealing, the bag
is inverted so that the separate bag section is on top, and the
indicia printed thereon are positioned to be right side up in that
normal use position, in which the bags are typically presented to
the customer for sale.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the bag of this invention,
shown in inverted position prior to sealing of the normal lower
edge, for loading of the bag with produce.
[0012] FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the bag of FIG. 1, shown in
its finished condition and right side up, with a separate bag
section being partially torn away without opening the bag.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a reduced-sized view of a strip of connected bags
of FIG. 1 in accordance with this invention, shown in an inverted
position of manufacture.
DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
[0014] Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 show a plastic bag
10 for produce and the like, which comprises a pair of generally
parallel bag walls connected at one end 16 by either an integral
fold line 16 as shown, or, if desired, an end seal such as a heat
seal. Side edges 18 of the bag are also sealed with a heat seal or
the like in conventional manner.
[0015] Bag 10 may be perforated with holes 20 to provide
appropriate ventilation to the produce 22, comprising onions 22 in
this particular embodiment.
[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the end 23 of bag 10, which is opposite
from fold line 16, can be open for the loading of the bag with
produce or other product, such as onions 22. Specifically, this may
be accomplished as part of a substantially automated process, as
shown in the cited U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,681, in which bags 10 may be
formed as a connected series of bags out of a double sheet of
plastic from a roll of plastic sheeting, which may be folded to
form a pair of generally parallel bag walls, with a series of bags
10 being defined by appropriate sealing and cutting, as
particularly described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,681, making use if
desired of the double heat seal and cutting die as shown in U.S.
Pat. No. 6,506,429, to form cut, seal lines at bag edges 18, the
disclosures of the above two patents being incorporated by
reference.
[0017] Also, bag 10 carries a transverse heat seal 24 formed
between bag walls 12, 14 in a line which is parallel to integral
fold line 16, parallel to a sealed end of the bag, which may also
be represented by numeral 16. Thus, by the presence of transverse
heat seal line 24, a separate bag section 26 is defined, having an
interior that is separate from the rest of the bag, being closed
off therefrom by seal line 24. Also, a line of tearing weakness 28
is defined in bag 10, positioned between transverse heat seal 24
and integral fold line and bag end 16. This permits a portion of
separate bag section 26 to be removable from the rest of bag 10 by
manual tearing, as indicated in FIG. 2. This can be accomplished
without opening bag 10 because of the presence of transverse seal
line 24.
[0018] Separate bag section 26 may carry indicia 27, writing or
other symbols, which may, if desired, comprise a coupon for a
marketing program which may be torn off the bag and used in a
discount sale offer, or another promotional offer. The indicia 27
may be directly printed on the surface of bag section 26. Thus,
special offers and other promotional material may be applied to the
bags, and may be removed by the purchaser without opening the bag
interior, so that separate bag section 26 is usable as a coupon, a
pass to an event, an entry piece for a contest or game, or any
other use, particularly a commercial, promotional use.
[0019] As previously stated, the bag 10 in FIG. 1 is in an inverted
position as it may be in a process line, being filled with the
produce or other product 22. This may be as schematically
illustrated in FIG. 3, and discussed in greater detail in the
previously cited patents. Then, after filling with product 22, a
second, transverse seal 30 is applied at the end of the bag
opposite to fold line 16, to close open end 23. This is illustrated
in FIG. 2. The bag is turned right side up, as shown in FIG. 2, so
that the indicia, inverted in FIG. 1, of the filled and sealed bag
may be presented right side up to the customer. As shown, separate
bag section 26 is removable, and may carry a special commercial
offer or other communication, without opening the main portion of
the bag.
[0020] The bag may be also manufactured on an individual basis, not
involving a strip of connected bags, in accordance with
conventional techniques.
[0021] The above is offered for illustrative purposes only, and is
not intended to limit the scope of the invention of this
application, which is as defined in the claims below.
* * * * *